White perch

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White perch
Morone americana PAQ.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Moroniformes
Family: Moronidae
Genus: Morone
Species:
M. americana
Binomial name
Morone americana
(J. F. Gmelin, 1789)
Synonyms [2]
  • Perca americana J. F. Gmelin, 1789
  • Roccus americanus (J. F. Gmelin, 1789)
  • Perca immaculata Walbaum, 1792
  • Morone rufa Mitchill, 1814
  • Morone pallida Mitchill, 1814

The white perch (Morone americana) is not a true perch but is a fish of the temperate bass family, Moronidae, notable as a food and game fish in eastern North America. In some places it is referred to as "Silver Bass".[ citation needed ]

Contents

The common name "white perch" is sometimes applied to the white crappie (Pomoxis annularis). [3]

Description

Generally silvery-white in color, hence the name, depending upon habitat and size specimens have begun to develop a darker shade near the dorsal fin and along the top of the fish. This sometimes earns them the nickname "black-back". White perch have been reported up to 49.5 cm (19.5 in) in length and weighing 2.2 kg (4.9 lb).[ citation needed ]

Ecology

Although favoring brackish waters, it is also found in fresh water and coastal areas from the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario south to the Pee Dee River in South Carolina, [4] and as far east as Nova Scotia.[ citation needed ] They are also found in the lower Great Lakes, Finger Lakes, Long Island Sound and nearby coastal areas, Hudson and Mohawk River system, Delaware Bay and Chesapeake Bay. It is also found occasionally in small landlocked lakes and ponds.

Diet

White perch are known to eat the eggs of many species native to the Great Lakes, such as walleye and other true perches. At times, fish eggs are 100% of their diet. They prefer to eat small minnows like mudminnows and fathead minnows.

In the Chesapeake Bay, white perch commonly prey upon grass shrimp, razor clams, and bloodworms which are all common to the region. [5]

Reproduction

White perch are a prolific species. The female can deposit over 150,000 eggs in a spawning session, lasting just over a week. Several males will often attend a spawning female, and each may fertilize a portion of her eggs. The young hatch within one to six days of fertilization.[ citation needed ]

At times, a parasite known as Lironeca ovalis is located in the gills. Its presence is believed to reduce the growth rate of white perch. [6]

The white perch is currently recovering from a loss of population in the Hudson River. [7]

Aquatic nuisance species

Morone americana White perch GLERL.jpg
Morone americana

Some states consider the white perch to be a nuisance species due to its ability to destroy fisheries. They have been associated with the declines in both walleye and white bass populations because they feed heavily on baitfish used by those species and outcompete them for food and space. [8] Many states have enacted laws forbidding possession of live white perch. Additionally, these states recommend not releasing captured white perch back into the water to help control its spread. [9]


Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White bass</span> Species of fish

The white bass, silver bass, or sand bass is a freshwater fish of the temperate bass family Moronidae. commonly around 12-15 inches long. The species' main color is silver-white to pale green. Its back is dark, with white sides and belly, and with narrow dark stripes running lengthwise on its sides. It has large, rough scales and two dorsal fins. They are widely distributed across North America, inhabiting large reservoirs and rivers. When mating in the spring, they are more often found in shallow rivers, creeks, and streams. They have been introduced in some places as sport fish and also to predate on nuisance fish, such as gizzard shad. It is the state fish of Oklahoma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Striped bass</span> Species of fish

The striped bass, also called the Atlantic striped bass, striper, linesider, rock, or rockfish, is an anadromous perciform fish of the family Moronidae found primarily along the Atlantic coast of North America. It has also been widely introduced into inland recreational fisheries across the United States. Striped bass found in the Gulf of Mexico are a separate strain referred to as Gulf Coast striped bass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tippecanoe River</span> River in Indiana, USA

The Tippecanoe River is a gentle, 182-mile-long (293 km) river in the Central Corn Belt Plains ecoregion in northern Indiana. It flows from Crooked Lake in Noble County to the Wabash River near what is now Battle Ground, about 12 miles (19 km) northeast of Lafayette. The name "Tippecanoe" was derived from a Miami-Illinois word for buffalo fish, reconstructed as */kiteepihkwana/ or as kiteepihkwana siipiiwi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crappie</span> Common name for two species of game fish

Crappies are two species of North American freshwater fish of the genus Pomoxis in the family Centrarchidae (sunfishes). Both species of crappies are popular game fish among recreational anglers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Panfish</span> Pan-sized freshwater fish

The word panfish, also spelled pan-fish or pan fish, is an American English term describing any edible freshwater fish that usually do not outgrow the size of an average frying pan. It is also commonly used by recreational anglers to refer to any small catch that can fit wholly into a pan but still large enough to be legal. The fish species that match this definition and usage vary according to geography. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term was first recorded in 1796 in American Cookery, the first known cookbook written by an American author.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White crappie</span> Species of fish

The white crappie is a freshwater fish found in North America, one of the two species of crappies. Alternate common names for the species include goldring, silver perch, white perch and sac-a-lait. USS Goldring is named for the fish. The genus name Pomoxis refers to crappies' sharp operculum, while the species name annularis means 'having rings', i.e., it has vaguely vertical bars on the body.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black crappie</span> Species of fish

The black crappie is a freshwater fish found in North America, one of the two types of crappies. It is very similar to the white crappie in size, shape, and habits, except that it is darker, with a pattern of black spots. Alternate names for the species include calico bass, speck, speckled perch, speckled bass, moonfish, grass bass, strawberry bass, shiner, crawpie, oswego bass, sac-a-lait, and marigane noire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow bass</span> Species of fish

The yellow bass is a member of the family Moronidae. This species is a deep bodied fish that possesses five to seven dark stripes laterally along the sides, the lowest few of these are often broken or disrupted anterior to the origin of the anal fin. This species is somewhat similar to two other species in the family Moronidae, the white bass and the striped bass. The yellow bass is distinguishable from both of these species by having the offset lateral stripes above the anal fin and from not possessing tooth patches on the tongue. The yellow bass differs further from the white bass by having nine to ten anal rays in comparison to eleven or thirteen. The back of the fish is usually a dark olive green, and the abdomen and sides are often a silvery yellow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hybrid striped bass</span> Hybrid fish

A hybrid striped bass, also known as a wiper or whiterock bass, is a hybrid between the striped bass and the white bass. Hybrid striped bass are considered better suited for culture in ponds than either parent species because they are more resilient to extremes of temperature and low dissolved oxygen, although they gravitate toward areas of moving water within impoundments.

Fishing in Colorado has brought in a large amount of revenue for the state. In 2019 Colorado Parks and Wildlife estimated outdoor recreation contributed roughly 62 billion dollars to the state economy. Fishing was reported to be the 5th most popular outdoor activity and 110, 511 fishing and hunting combination licenses were sold. Ice fishing makes up part of this total fishing revenue and is a common annual sport for Colorado residents and out-of-state visitors. There is no legal definition of ice fishing season. Rather, people begin to ice fish once the lakes freeze over with thick enough ice. Colorado Parks and Wildlife also recommend that people always ice-fish with another person. Typically, this starts in December and ends in April for Colorado. Lakes size, depth, elevation, and seasonal weather can cause variance to the season. Once the lakes freeze over with thick enough ice, anglers go out onto the ice, drill holes through the ice, and fish for a variety of species.

References

  1. NatureServe (2013). "Morone americana". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2013: e.T184088A18231622. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T184088A18231622.en . Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  2. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2023). "Morone americana" in FishBase. February 2023 version.
  3. "White Crappie (Pomoxis annularis)". Texas Parks and Wildlife. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  4. P. Fuller; E. Maynard; D. Raikow; J. Larson; A. Fusaro; M. Neilson; A. Bartos (30 August 2023) [Peer reviewed on 12 April 2013]. "Morone americana (Gmelin, 1789)". Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database. Gainesville, Florida: U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  5. Charlie, Chum (July 24, 2023). "How to Catch a White Perch". Catch & Fillet. Catch & Fillet. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  6. Sadzikowski, Mark R.; Wallace, Dale C. (1974). "The Incidence of Lironeca ovalis (Say) (Crustacea, Isopoda) and Its Effects on the Growth of White Perch, Morone americana (Gmelin), in the Delaware River near Artificial Island". Chesapeake Science. 15 (3): 163–165. doi:10.2307/1351036. JSTOR   1351036.
  7. Caldwell, Dave (December 2021). "Kingston, N.Y.: A Historic Hudson City 'Preparing for Better Opportunities'" . The New York Times.
  8. "Invasive.org, White Perch". October 2018. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  9. "Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks". July 18, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2022.